Bear with me, this is a long post but worth the read.
I just wanted to let you in on a little something that I’m pretty pumped about. I’ve been writing programming for 8+ years for both group and individual athletes. I’ll be the first to admit I’ve made mistakes, over implemented personal biases, and strayed from our core values at times. Needless to say I’ve learned a lot in that time span and I’ve learned and evolved. What I’ve always striven for though is to deliver you the best programming I can day in and day out.
Starting this coming Monday, we will be rolling out two versions of our daily programming in an attempt to appeal to the variety of experience levels, abilities, and goals we have among our membership. You will see the daily training split into “Fitness” and “Performance”.
So what’s the difference?
Fitness
As the name indicates, Fitness will be designed to develop foundational strength and aerobic capacity, with a focus on structural balance and movement pattern quality. This definitely does not mean that the workouts will lack intensity, but also means you won’t leave you feeling beat down either. Loads used for the strength portions of class will typically be lighter and higher in rep number as compared to those used in Performance. There won’t be as much focus on percentages of your max but a heightened focus on feel and tempo. Gymnastics and basic body weight movements will be present with more strict versions to help build muscular strength and joint stability. The Olympic weightlifting movements (snatch, clean, jerk) will make rare appea rances with a barbell but will still be seen more often with dumbbell work. For you Masters members, you can expect more of the same but under the Fitness label. Other focal points of our Fitness programming include fat loss, gaining/maintaining muscle tone, increased mobility, enhanced energy, enhanced immune function, better sleep, increased mental acuity, and being able to physically do whatever you wish to do outside of the gym whether it’s hiking in the mountains, moving a heavy-ass couch, or chasing your pets/kids/grand kids.
Fitness programming is recommended for those considered beginner to intermediate level (0-6 months) or whose training goals align with the description above. Been training with us for years but want to throttle is back a little? I promise you won’t leave the gym feeling underwhelmed after a day of Fitness programming.
Performance
The focus of our Performance track of programming is just that… performance. It is for those who wish to take their training to the next level, so to speak. Performance will have a higher level of intensity and complexity to both the strength and conditioning segments. It’s designed for people with an adequate foundation in strength and conditioning. Performance won’t be about learning the basic strength movements but more so the fine tuning of the movements. Olympic lifting, upper level gymnastics, and heavier strength work percentages will be a mainstay of this program. I can also make a couple of reasonable assumptions about those following this program when I design it… 1) that the client is at an acceptable level of health, and that their body composition is not their number one priority and 2) that they have a desire to maximize their fitness as measured by work capacity across broad time and modal domains (i.e. they want to be better at “CrossFit” as a sport, hobby, or whatever you may call it).
Performance is recommended for those considered an intermediate or advanced level (6 months – 2+ years of training). It is assumed that Performance athletes will treat their bodies appropriately in regards to proper recovery and nutrition. If you are a beginner and want to progress quickly, hoping straight into the Performance track is not recommended. Take the time to master the basics and you’ll make much more consistent progress without the risk of overdoing it.
Not sure which category you fall under? No worries! Coach RJ and I can make recommendations based on that day’s programming, how you’re feeling, and your level of ability. The best part about the new Fitness and Performance programming is that they will run parallel to one another so you’ll have the option to move between the two on a daily basis meaning you won’t be locked into one or the other. The purpose is to provide you more options and a better fit for your fitness goals every day you come into the gym.